Notes From the Neighborhood

Bulbs, Coins, and Magnets: How to Spot a Lead Line in Your Detroit Home

  If you live in a classic Detroit home, you probably spent your first few months (or years) falling in love with the original crown molding, the solid oak floors, and maybe that quirky built-in ironing board that you definitely don’t use. But if your home was built before 1945, which, let’s be hone

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Wavy Siding, Big Problems: Why We Steer Clear of Asbestos Shingles

If you’ve spent more than five minutes driving through Detroit’s historic neighborhoods: from the stately streets of Boston-Edison to the cozy blocks of East English Village: you’ve seen it. It’s that distinctive, rigid, slightly "wavy" siding. Sometimes it’s a faded gray, but more often than not, i

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Don’t Smash the Past: Why You Should Save That 1950s Bathroom

If you’ve been house hunting in the D lately, you know the vibe. You walk into a beautiful 1940s or 50s brick ranch in Northwest Detroit or a cozy bungalow in Ferndale, and there it is: the bathroom. We’re talking floor-to-ceiling tile in "Mamie Pink," "Seafoam Mint," or "Dusty Blue." For some peopl

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